A MAN has been jailed after admitting supplying drugs, including cannabis he had been prescribed, and ecstasy.
The Royal Court heard yesterday that after being approached by States police officers while sitting in his parked car at La Mare Slipway in St Clement, James Quemard became argumentative and put some of the contents of a tub of medicinal cannabis in his mouth.
Crown Advocate Simon Crowder, prosecuting, said around 40 grams of cannabis had been recovered after the incident in January 2022, and that during a subsequent search of Quemard’s home address, a mobile phone, almost £2,000 in cash and a ‘deal list’ had been found.
Analysis of the phone and list showed evidence that Quemard had sold 22 grams of cannabis over a period of seven months, and also eight ecstasy tablets during the previous week, the court heard.
Advocate Crowder said that a further count of attempted possession of a controlled drug related to an incident later in January, when Quemard had been reported by a hotel receptionist for acting suspiciously when he sought to book a particular room, claiming he wished to surprise his girlfriend.
The room was subsequently searched by the hotel manager before Quemard checked in, leading to the discovery of two bars of cannabis resin weighing almost 200 grams each, with a street value of between £5,000 and £7,000.
Advocate Sarah Dale, defending, said the hotel incident resulted from Quemard taking a ‘poor decision’ after having overheard a conversation about drugs being left in the room.
The court heard that after checking into the room, Quemard took two replacement wooden bars, made to look like cannabis, that had been hidden under the bed, and was subsequently apprehended by police, telling officers that he was intending to take the drugs to the police station.
Advocate Dale said that in supplying the ecstasy tablets, Quemard had facilitated the supply of drugs between friends.
The court also heard that Quemard had been prescribed cannabis for an anxiety disorder, and had a network of friends who would sometimes supply cannabis to each other when they had available supplies.
Quemard pleaded guilty to supplying ecstasy and cannabis, attempted possession of the hotel cannabis, possessing cannabis with the intent to supply, possessing diazepam and obstructing a police officer.
Bailiff Sir Timothy Le Cocq, presiding, sitting with Jurats Collette Crill, Elizabeth Dulake, Steven Austin-Vautier, David Le Heuzé and Karen Le Cornu, said that while the court accepted Quemard’s remorse for what he had done, it was not found that the circumstances of the case were sufficiently exceptional to justify a non-custodial sentence.
Quemard was sentenced to a total of three years and seven months’ imprisonment.
